Origins and casting The character of Gwen Stacy first appeared in
The Amazing Spider-Man #31 in 1965. Intended to be
Spider-Man's primary love interest, she was soon superseded in popularity by
Mary Jane Watson in that role by fans. This eventually led to the now-controversial decision by Spider-Man writers to
kill off Gwen, which served as one of the most pivotal moments in comic-book history; Spider-Man's failure to save Gwen was one of the first big failures by a superhero, and is regarded as the end of the
Silver Age of Comic Books. The character has subsequently been cloned or revived several times or seen different iterations in the comics, including one as
Spider-Gwen, and has been included in several television shows and cartoons based on Spider-Man. The first big-budget cinematic appearance of Gwen Stacy was in
Spider-Man 3, with
Bryce Dallas Howard portraying the character in a supporting role, as Mary Jane was already serving as Peter's main love interest in that trilogy. Following the cancellation of
Spider-Man 4 and reboot of the Spider-Man film series, it was originally reported that both Gwen and Mary Jane would appear in the first film of the new series before Gwen was confirmed as the only one of Peter's love interests to appear. The shortlist of actresses to play the role included
Lily Collins,
Ophelia Lovibond, and
Imogen Poots, with
Teresa Palmer,
Emma Roberts, and
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as reported by
The Hollywood Reporter as "potentially in the mix". In September 2010,
Variety reported that the shortlist had expanded to include
Emma Stone and
Mia Wasikowska. After a few more actresses were considered, Stone was announced as the winner of the role in October 2010 due to her chemistry with Spider-Man actor
Andrew Garfield. That chemistry later developed into their off-screen romance. '' and its sequel. For the role, Stone kept her natural blonde hair color to match Gwen's depiction in the comic books, rather than maintaining her usual dyed red hair. She felt that she had a responsibility to educate herself on Spider-Man, admitting she "hadn't read the comic book growing up, and my experience was with the Sam Raimi movies... I always assumed that Mary Jane was his first love", Stone said, "There's a part of me that really wants to please people [who] love Spider-Man or Gwen Stacy and want her to be done justice. I hope they'll give me license to interpret her my way." While
The Amazing Spider-Man director
Marc Webb introduced a few elements from
Ultimate Spider-Man, he wanted to keep the mainstream version of Gwen Stacy instead of that world's punk rocker, though he states that the "texture" of the romantic relationship between her and Peter is based on that of the
Ultimate versions of Peter and Mary Jane. Despite her character's death in
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Stone expressed interest in returning as a resurrected Stacy in a future
The Amazing Spider-Man film in an interview with
Screen Rant. By July 2014, development of follow-ups
Sinister Six,
The Amazing Spider-Man 3, and
The Amazing Spider-Man 4 had stalled; the films would have seen Stone reprise her role, the plot following a returned
Norman Osborn setting a resurrected amnesiac Gwen as
Carnage against Peter,
Harry Osborn, and the
Sinister Six. By early 2015, a deal to
reboot the series within the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was reached, effectively cancelling the
Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Screenwriters
Erik Sommers and
Chris McKenna wrote at various points versions of the story for the MCU film
Spider-Man: No Way Home that included Gwen Stacy, alongside appearances of
Sally Field's
Aunt May and
Kirsten Dunst's
Mary Jane Watson, but Sommers and McKenna ultimately concluded that the story felt already overstuffed, ultimately choosing
Zendaya's
Michelle "MJ" Jones and
Marisa Tomei's
Aunt May to be the only female characters in the film with significant screen time.
Characterization and themes Sony Pictures' official website for
The Amazing Spider-Man described Gwen Stacy as "smart, charismatic and rebellious". Stone described her character as "a
daddy's girl" who is very responsible and protective of her family and loves science. She said of her character, "she offers Parker a world of stability, of a family unit not marred with parental loss and, beyond physical allure, the two forge an intellectual connection over their shared love of science."
Dana Stevens of
Slate described the character "as the stuff of a comic nerd's dreams: a sweet, smart, wisecracking dame in demure sweaters, miniskirts, thigh-high stockings and boots." Gwen and Peter's relationship is further explored in
The Amazing Spider-Man 2. When asked about their relationship in the sequel, Stone said, "She saves him more than he saves her. She's incredibly helpful to Spider-Man... He's the muscle, she's the brains." Emily Kubincanek of
Film School Rejects observes that unlike
Mary Jane Watson, the primary love interest in the Raimi trilogy, Gwen Stacy, as portrayed in the Marc Webb films, provides a "feeling of partnership" in her relationship with Peter Parker and is more than willing to aid him in his battles, even at the cost of her own life when she voluntarily helps him against
Electro and is subsequently targeted and killed by the
Green Goblin. ==Film appearances==